Paco, Lakeland Terrier, SLE

[Cherryl]

At 3-1/2, Paco became lethargic, started to limp and cried when he went to get up.  We live in the U.S. and the vet immediately thought it was Lyme Disease.  After being treated for several months with antibiotics, he had gotten worse and we admitted him to the Ryan Vet College in Philadelphia.  Within a few days, they determined Paco had Lupus.  He was put on a high dose of Prednisone which gave him immediate positive results.  Unfortuntately, there were many side effects such as being very irritable, thinning of coat, excessive thirst and hunger and weight gain.  Over the next six+ months the dose was decreased and most of the side effects disappeared.  He was on a very low dose every other day for a year or more.  Always add a gastro protectant when using steroids and we also gave him Milk Thistle for his liver.  Paco had flare ups with the joint pain in the change of seasons and would have to go back on a low dose of Pred for a week or so.  Several years later, he was hospitalized with Pancreatitis which occurred most likely as a result of the steroids and weight gain.  Today Paco isn't able to jump up on things and has problems with stairs, but he's almost 11 and still enjoys playing with his toys and going for car rides.  He has also been treated with acupuncture and chiropractic.  He gets routine massages to keep him from stiffening and also does warm water therapy at an indoor dog pool facility.  The most important advice I can offer is to be sure your vet is familiar with treating autoimmune diseases.  Many are not qualified and this is why we transferred him to a vet college.  He would never have survived without the wonderful help we received from the members of this site.  Just let me know if you have any questions.

[Joanne]

Cheryl,

Your story is amazing and heartwarming!  Bravo for you and your Paco!

You make several points which are important.  First, pred. is a necessary drug for many AI diseases and its side effects are to be reckoned with.  Excessive pee, loss of coat, and other changes come with the territory.  The good news is that they all abate once the pred. dose is lessened.  With CeeCee, who is on a small dose for life, I see none of that now.

It is so great to see a dog reach the age of 11 and be supported so wonderfully.  Acupuncture is like the icing on the cake, isn't it?  The trick is to find the right acupuncturist!  One trained and certified!

Thanks for treating us to an amazing recovery,

[gschellinger]

Yea, for Paco and his wonderful owner Cherryl. It occurs to me that there may be autoimmune dogs who never get a chance, because their owners may not be able to handle their illness in some way. Some of these dogs are not for the faint of heart, so to speak. Congrats to Paco for beating the odds!

[debsy]

uplifting story